Loop hanger and buckle stay



P 20, 1955 w. T. WALLACE 2,718,043

LOOP HANGER AND BUCKLE STAY Filed March 10, 1953 INVENTOR Vl iliz'am Z' Vlllace BY m ATTORNEYS LOOP HANGER AND BUCKLE STAY William T. Wallace, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Hickok Manufacturing Co. Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 10, 1953, Serial No. 341,434 13 Claims. (Cl. 24-178) The present invention relates to improvements in belt buckle stays and more particularly relates to an attachment carried by the belt within a folded end thereof and frictionally engaging the buckle and tongue of the buckle to hold the same from free movement relative to each other and to the belt and wherein the attachment also holds the belt loop in position.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved stay for belt buckles which will be simple in construction yet which will perform both the functions of frictionally holding the buckle and tongue there of from free movement relative to each other and to the belt and of holding the belt loop in place.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved stay which can be attached to the belt by the same means as heretofore employed for removably securing the folded buckle-holding end of the belt in its relationship, which means is utilized for predeterminately positioning the friction head of the stay relative to the fold of the belt for frictional engagement with the buckle and tongue thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved buckle stay for attachment .to belts wherein the head formation is such as to frictionally contact both the attachment bar of the buckle and the attachment end of the tongue.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved stay for buckles in accordance with the foregoing objects and which will not materially increase the bulkiness or weight of the buckle end of the belt and which will not detract from the appearance thereof.

In accordance with the foregoing, I have provided, generally speaking, a fiat elongated attachment portion terminating at one end in .a transversely extending, enlarged head having a recess longitudinally thereof remote from the line of juncture between the enlarged head and attachment portion, the head being bifurcated so as to provide a medially disposed notch-opening-out into the recess. The belt and buckle may be -of conventional -construction. As shown, the buckle has an attachment bar and a tongue pivotally carried thereon. The belt is folded over at-one end for engagement about the attachment bar of the buckle and has an opening at the fold thereof out through which the tongue extends. Snaps join the attachment portion and folded over portions .of the belt. Also the loop of the belt has a portion thereof between the snaps and between the attachment portion and the portion of the belt to which the attachment portion is secured.

Advantages accruing from the foregoing arrangement are that the loop is held neatly in position 'by the attachment portion which also frictionally holds the buckle with its tougue from free movement relative to the belt as well as frictionally .holds the tongue relative to the buckle frame. This is desirable in packaging, for display or sales purposes :and also renders more facile the buckling of the .belt on the person because of the fric- United States Patent 2,718,043 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 ice tional restraint on the buckle component parts relative to each other and to the belt.

Various other objects and advantages will become ap parent from the detailed description to follow. The best form in which I have contemplated applying my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the ends of a belt with a buckle and loop mounted on one of the ends and held in place by the loop hanger and buckle stay of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the loop hanger and buckle stay per se;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the buckle end of a belt, parts being broken away to show the relationship between the loop hanger and buckle stay and the end of the belt;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 44 of Fig. l and showing the manner in which the buckle can be pivoted relative to the belt end and held in any desired position;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view through the buckle end of a belt showing the stay attached to the belt end and engaging the loop and buckle; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of loop hanger and buckle stay.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout it will be seen that a belt 10, buckle 12 and loop 14 have associated therewith a loop hanger and buckle stay 16. Having reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 5, it will be seen that the belt {t0 includes a folded over end at 18 providing overlapping portions 20 and 22 joined by a fold at 24. At the fold 24, the belt has an aperture 26 out through which the tongue 42 extends. The belt loop 14 consists of a looped strip of leather encircling the belt portion 20 and having its ends clipped together at 30. The belt portion 22 has a pair of spaced snap fastener elements 32 and 34 secured thereto for cooperation with cooperating fastener elements 36 and 38 on belt portion 20, to be described hereinafter.

The buckle 12 comprises a substantially rectangular bar-like frame having an attachment bar 40 and a tongue 42 pivotally mounted thereon by the eyelet 44 at one end. The attachment bar 40 is received between the folded over portions of the belt adjacent the fold 24 and the tongue 42 extends out through the slit or aperture 26.

Having reference to Fig. 2, one form of loop hanger andjbuckle stay 16 will be described. The stay 16 is comprised of a flat elongated attachment portion 46 having a pair of spaced openings 48 and 50 therein and terminating at one end in an enlarged, transversely extending head 52 of generally cylindrical shape. The head 52 has a longitudinal recess 54 of 'V-shape cross-section, the recess being remote from the line of juncture between the head 52 and attachment portion 46. The head is bifurcated by providing a transverse dividing notch 56 opening out into the recess 54 and dividing the latter into two portions.

In assembling the stay 16 on the belt and buckle combination, Figs. 3 and 4 show the manner in which the attachment portion 46 is secured to the belt portion 20 by means of the snap fastener elements 36 and 38 which are engaged through the openings 48 and 50 with their flanged ends 58 and 60 retaining the attachment portion from removal. The loop 14 is disposed between the fasteners and between the attachment portion 46 and belt portion 20 so as to be held thereby.

The length of the stay is predetermined so that when properly attached to the belt portion 26, the head 52 is adjacent the fold '24 and frictionally receives the attachment bar 40 .in the recess-54 while the'notch 56 frictionally receives the eyelet 44 of the tongue whereby the buckle frame and tongue are held from free movement relative to each other and relative to the belt. It is to be noted that the width of the notch 56 is such as to aid the frictional holding of the eyelet of the tongue, since the sidewalls of the notch engage the side edges of the eyelet.

In the second form of stay 16' shown in Fig. 6, the re-- cess 54' is of substantially arcuate shape in cross-section, the attachment portion 46', openings 48 and 50', head 52' and notch 56 otherwise being similar to the above described embodiment. The assembly and operation of the second embodiment is identical with that of the first embodiment.

The material from which the stay is made in either embodiment is polyethylene although it is to be understood that other suitable materials may be substituted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figures 1 and 4 illustrate the manner in which the buckle and tongue retain a selected relationship with the belt in opposition to gravitational forces acting thereon. Figure 4 shows how the buckle can be moved relative to the belt with the stay frictionally holding the buckle in any selected position while simultaneously holding the belt loop in position.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. A loop hanger and buckle stay comprising an elongate attachment portion adapted to be secured to the back side of a belt and including an enlarged head disposed transversely of one end, said head having a recess therein transversely of the attachment portion, the head being bifurcated whereby the recess is divided into a pair of recess portions adapted to receive and frictionally engage the portion of a buckle on which its tongue is mounted with the tongue pivot mounting frictionally engaged between the recess portions so as to frictionally hold the buckle and its tongue from free movement relative to the belt.

2. A loop hanger and buckle stay comprising an elongate attachment portion adapted to be secured to the back side of a belt and including a head disposed transversely of one end, said head having a thickness greater than said portion and having a recess therein extending transversely of the attachment portion, the head being bifurcated whereby the spaced recess is divided into a pair of recess portions formed to receive and frictionally engage the portion of a buckle on which its tongue is mounted, the space between the recess portions being formed to have the tongue pivot mounting frictionally engaged between the recess portions so as to frictionally hold the buckle and its tongue from free movement relative to the belt, said attachment portion having a pair of spaced fastener elements engaged therethrough for holding the attachment portion to the belt, said fastener elements being so spaced that the belt loop can be disposed therebetween and engaged under the attachment portion for retention thereby.

3. A loop hanger and buckle stay in combination with a tongue-type buckle and belt comprising an elongate attachment portion terminating at one end in an enlarged, bifurcated and transversely recessed head adapted to frictionally engage the portion of the buckle having the tongue mounted thereon and the tongue, said belt having one end thereof folded about the portion of the buckle having the tongue thereon, the fold of the belt having an aperture therein through which the tongue extends, means securing the folded end of the belt and attachment portion together and maintaining said portion and head against movement independently of the said endof the belt, the enlarged head being maintained by said securing means in frictional engagement with said portion of the buckle and the tongue and holding the buckle and tongue from free movement relative to each other and said belt.

4. A loop hanger and buckle stay in combination with a tongue-type buckle and belt comprising an elongate attachment portion terminating at one end in an enlarged, bifurcated and transversely recessed head adapted to frictionally engage the portion of the buckle having the tongue mounted thereon and the tongue, said belt having one end thereof folded about the portion of the buckle having the tongue thereon, the fold of the belt having an aperture therein through which the tongue extends, means securing the folded end of the belt and attachment portion together and maintaining said portion and head against movement independently of the said end of the belt, the enlarged head being maintained by said securing means in frictional engagement with said portion of the buckle and the tongue and holding the buckle and tongue from free movement relative to each other and said belt, said means including a pair of fastener elements extending through said attachment portion and belt, said fastener elements being so spaced that the belt loop is disposed therebetween and engaged between the attachment portion and belt portion to which it is attached.

5. A loop hanger and buckle stay in combination with a buckle and belt comprising a flat elongate attachment portion terminating at one end in a transversely extending, enlarged head, the head having a recess longitudinally thereof remote from the line of juncture between the enlarged head and attachment portion, said head being bifurcated so as to provide a medially disposed notch cutting across and opening into the recess of said head, said buckle including an attachment bar and a tongue pivotally carried on said attachment bar, said belt being folded over at one end and receiving said attachment bar in the fold and having a tongue-receiving aperture at the fold line medial portion, spaced means securing said attachment portion to the belt at the folded end and maintaining the attachment portion and head against movement relative to the belt, and said means being predeterminately spaced relative to the fold line to maintain the bifurcated head in frictional engagement with said attachment bar and tongue attached thereto to hold the bar and tongue in any given position from free movement relative to each other and to the belt.

6. A loop hanger and buckle stay in combination with a buckle and belt comprising a flat elongate attachment portion terminating at one end in a transversely extending, enlarged head, the head having a recess longitudinally thereof remote from the line of juncture between the enlarged head and attachment portion, said head being bifurcated so as to provide a medially disposed notch opening into the recess of said head, said buckle including an attachment bar and a tongue pivotally carried on said attachment bar, said belt being folded over at one end and receiving said attachment bar in the fold and having a tongue-receiving aperture at the fold line medial portion, spaced means securing said attachment portion to the belt at the folded end and maintaining the attachment portion and head against movement relative to the belt, and said means being predeterminately spaced relative to the fold line to maintain the bifurcated head in frictional engagement with said attachment bar and tongue attached thereto to hold the bar and tongue in any given position from free movement relative to each other and to the belt, said means including a pair of fastener elements extending through said attachment portion and belt, said'fastener elements being so spaced that the belt loop is disposed therebetween and engaged between the attachment portion and belt portion to which it is attached whereby the belt loop is held thereby.

7. A lop hanger and buckle stay according to claim 1 wherein said recess is substantially V-shaped in crosssection.

8. A loop hanger and buckle stay according to claim 1 wherein said recess is transversely substantially arcuate 1y shaped.

9. In combination, a belt body having a portion of one end folded back upon itself, the fold of the belt having an aperture therein, an eyeleted tongue-type buckle having the tongue carrying portion thereof enclosed in said fold with the tongue extended through said aperture, fastening elements securing said folded back portion to the belt, and means immovably secured by said elements to and between the belt body and the folded back portion and engaging and imposing a constant frictional restraint upon the tongue carrying portion of the buckle against free swinging movement of the buckle.

10. The invention according to claim 9, wherein said means also engages and frictionally holds the buckle tongue against free swinging movement.

11. The invention according to claim 9, wherein said means includes an elongate fiat body of less width than the belt body and the turned back portion and completely housed between the body and said portion.

12. The invention according to claim 11, wherein said body further includes an elongate head disposed across the end of the flat body adjacent to the tongue carrying portion of the buckle, said head having a recess therein in which the said tongue carrying portion of the buckle is engaged.

13. The invention according to claim 11, wherein said body further includes an elongate head disposed across the end of the fiat body adjacent to the tongue carrying portion of the buckle, said head having a recess therein in which the said tongue carrying portion of the buckle is engaged, the head further having a notch therein across the recess, the notch having a width to frictionally receive the eyeleted portion of the tongue between the sides thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 279,609 Stender June 19, 1883 571,689 Rozell Nov. 17, 1896 1,459,113 Mix June 19, 1923 

